I live in one of the most "gun controlled" states in the Union and we have a gang epidemic in every. single. county.

The relatively small city I go to train in is known (at least in the media) as a gang and murder capital of the state. The local International House of Pancakes was recently (2011) the location of a gang war truce between the town mayor and rival sets of the Bloods, after multiple murders, including children on the street.

I am fortunate enough to live in Canada where we have sensible gun restrictions and plenty of cold weather that keeps hoodlums indoors 5-6months out of the year.
My city has an average of 8-10 gun-related homicides per year.
It is a boring city, but it is safe.
The only time we see an increase in gunplay in this city is when gang rivalries from other cities like Toronto and Hamilton find their way to London.
As far as being a victim of crime goes, you are more likely to have your car stolen or broken into than anything else here.
Having said that, the past couple of years there seem to be more late-night incidents involving guns than there were a decade or two ago when I frequented the nightclubs.
Usually the scenario is something like this :
3 or 4 am ..parking lot downtown..two groups of people start mouthing off to each other, one of the groups consists of gang members or wannabes..lipping off turns into threats, threats turns into shots fired.
Sometimes the bullets are just fired into the air or into a car tire to intimidate people, other times, someone gets killed.
This is a university town, so the bars are pretty happening. There is thus no shortage of drunken morons on the streets downtown on any given weekend at 3am.
Barroom brawls are frequent , but murders are not.

" If one wants to have a friend one must also want to wage war for him: and to wage war one must be capable of being an enemy." - Fr. Nietzsche 'On The Friend' Thus Spake Zarathustra

Usually the scenario is something like this :
3 or 4 am ..parking lot downtown..two groups of people start mouthing off to each other, one of the groups consists of gang members or wannabes..lipping off turns into threats, threats turns into shots fired.
Sometimes the bullets are just fired into the air or into a car tire to intimidate people, other times, someone gets killed.

Hmmm. Sounds about right, to me. But I wonder, where'd that description come from? Have you seen it happen, yourself? Or is it a narrative from the news? Just wonderin.

--- Ashkuff | www.ashkuff.com | How to use anthropology, in business and ADVENTURE!!!!

I know that the media coverage controls what we "know" about the violence in our area.
If for example in jerusalem Israel the media wants to promote an agenda of a peaceful co existence between Arabs and Jews, they won't publish stories that involve any hate crimes. The facebook and cellphone video era helped show how much the media is selective and topic driven.
Though there are surprisingly little Bar room fights here. Hardly any fights, and doorman are present only in clubs. You don't need them in pubs.
You have an armed guard in the entrance (usually some old geezer) to prevent a bomber from getting in, but that is it.

Re: How little do you know about violence in your own community?

Originally Posted by erezb

I know that the media coverage controls what we "know" about the violence in our area.
If for example in jerusalem Israel the media wants to promote an agenda of a peaceful co existence between Arabs and Jews, they won't publish stories that involve any hate crimes. The facebook and cellphone video era helped show how much the media is selective and topic driven.
Though there are surprisingly little Bar room fights here. Hardly any fights, and doorman are present only in clubs. You don't need them in pubs.
You have an armed guard in the entrance (usually some old geezer) to prevent a bomber from getting in, but that is it.

Damn dude, you don't have any organization that publishes these stats?